Washington State MBB Fall To #18 Gonzaga 88-75 Despite Cougs' Strong First Half

Jan 11, 2025; Spokane, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars forward LeJuan Watts (4) shoots the ball against Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Graham Ike (13) in the first half at McCarthey Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images | James Snook-Imagn Images

On Saturday night in Spokane, the Washington State Cougars' men's basketball team fell to the #18 Gonzaga Bulldogs by a score of 88-75.

This game marked the first meeting between the two sides since 2015. WSU are still searching for their first win over the Bulldogs since 2010.

On multiple occasions this season, Cougars' head coach David Riley has lamented his team's struggles to start games on the right note. In the first half, Washington State looked like a team hoping to atone for those kinds of performances.

WSU made 55.6% of their shots in that first half, keeping pace with the league leaders. However, the Cougs turned the ball over 12 times and went two-for-five on free-throw attempts. It took a few tough shots from Gonzaga, including a near-impossible layup from Khalif Battle to put them up 40-37 at the half.

The second half was a different story, as the Bulldogs erupted with an 8-0 run to start. They had built a 20-point lead after the first eight minutes of the half. The Cougars were unable to completely recover from that deficit in the 13-point loss. Gonzaga shot 68% from the floor in the second half and won the rebounds battle 17-11.

Gonzaga forward Graham Ike led all scorers with 21 points. Nolan Hickman also added five three-pointers for the Zags, a season high for him.

Nate Calmese led the Cougars with 20 points, also compiling eight assists. LeJuan Watts also added 17 points. Watts exited with a lower body injury with six minutes remaining and did not return.

WSU falls to 13-5 on the season with a 3-2 record in conference play. They'll return to action on Thursday, January 16 at San Diego. That contest is scheduled for a 7 PM PT tipoff time on ESPN+.

Washington State and Gonzaga will square off again on February 19 in Pullman.

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